EDP will deploy its largest solar photovoltaic farm with energy storage in Portugal. The agreement signed today with battery maker Exide Technologies Lda. provides for the deployment of two photovoltaic solar production units, with a total capacity of 3.8 MWp, for self-consumption in its facilities in Castanheira do Ribatejo and Azambuja.

Spanning 20.000m², the farms will have more than 10,000 solar panels and will be operational by the first quarter of 2020. The energy produced by the system, which would be enough to supply over 2,000 homes, will cover part of the electricity consumed by the two Exide facilities,

Taking the annual consumption from a clean energy source into consideration, the project will also avoid the emission of 31,000 tons of CO2, corresponding to 1 million planted trees and a 208-million-kilometer car trip.

The batteries used in the farm will be manufactured by Exide and charged by the solar panels. Surplus energy will be stored and injected into the grid mostly in the summer season, when the plant's energy consumption is lower. This kind of system is a major long-term trend for the energy market because it makes it possible to convert renewable energies, such as wind or solar energy, into more stable and resilient energy sources.

The production units were contracted through the Energy Manager business model. EDP will be in charge of the farm's operation, maintenance and real-time monitoring.

"EDP is committed to providing its customers with sustainable and efficient solutions, and this innovative, pioneering project represents a competitive advantage in the market, strengthening our commitment to lasting relationships with benefits for all parties. This is EDP's largest solar energy project, and it will allow us to take an important step towards the world of storage technology," says EDP Comercial CEO Vera Pinto Pereira.

"More and more companies will rely on self-generated power backed by a BESS (battery energy storage system) in years to come, especially in energy-demanding sectors like manufacturing. Companies can significantly reduce their ecological footprint and achieve operational savings," said Exide President EMEA and Executive Vice President, Stefan Stübing.

Exide Technologies, which has been in the market for 130 years, manufactures and recycles batteries for the industrial and automotive segments in more than 80 countries. The company has been supplying reliable batteries for energy storage projects across the globe for decades. With the help of EDP, Exide will now implement its first energy efficiency project on their own manufacturing site in order to assess replicating similar projects in other facilities around the world.

This partnership is strategically aligned with EDP's new positioning. Innovation to ensure better use of resources is the central focus of the EDP, which invests globally and continuously, through this and other pioneering projects to retaining its position as a global clean energy leader.

A leader in the Portuguese solar energy market, EDP Comercial has deployed more than 15,000 photovoltaic solar systems in private homes and companies across the country, with a total installed capacity of 36.7 MWp.

About Exide Technologies

Exide Technologies (www.exide.com) is a global provider of stored electrical-energy solutions for the transportation and industrial markets. Exide’s 130 years of technology innovation combined with operations in more than 80 countries enables the company to deliver compelling solutions for the world’s current and future power needs. Exide produces and recycles a broad range of products, serving the Transportation, Network Power and Motive Power market segments with battery and energy storage systems and specialty applications for a broad range of industries including: agricultural, automotive, electric, light and heavy-duty truck, marine, materials handling, military, mining, powersport, railroad, security, telecommunications, utility and uninterruptible power supply (UPS), among others. Exide is Powering the World Forward - history and scale combined with a start-up mentality make Exide the right choice for customers who want more than simply a battery supplier.